Reference is made to co-pending application Ser. No. 125,100, filed concurrently herewith in the names of Danny R. Barger, Carl A. Eggert and Paul O. Lloyd, said application being assigned to the same assignee as the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates generally to automated mailing systems and more particularly to postage cost recording systems which may form a part of the automated mailing systems.
Automated mailing systems which may include electric postage scales and postage computers are used to weigh an item and to compute the shipping costs for the items according to such factors as destination and special services or handling that may be desired. Such systems may employ a meter driver responsive to the postage computer to automatically position the postage amount handles of a postage meter. The postage meter is usually removably mounted to a motor-driven base which together with the postage meter prints a postage legend onto the item or prints the postage legend onto a label that is then affixed to the item. The base may also include means for automatically feeding a number of items such as envelopes to the postage meter so that the postage legend may be automatically printed onto each of the items.
With such systems, however, it is desirable to maintain a record of shipping costs. Various devices have been employed for this purpose which attach to the postage amount handles of the postage meter and that sense the mechanical printing function performed by the postage meter to thus provide the postage cost record. Such devices, however, are relatively expensive and substantially increase the overall complexity of the mailing system. Thus, there is a need for a simpler, less expensive means for creating a record of postage costs.